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By Joe Nathan
Center for School Change
Is
kindness contagious? I’m not sure. But recent stories about folks
helping out after Hugo’s tornado showed Minnesotans at our best, after
some of our worst weather. Helping others, whether after a tornado, a
stalled car or other problem, is one of the things we do best. Because
kindness, like many other things is learned, why not build a bit of it
into summer plans with our kids.
Last week the following played out in a Target parking lot: A young
woman with two small children was talking with her children, next to
their car. A family entering the store noticed them. Thirty-five
minutes later, the mother and her children were still standing by the
car.
One family member went over to ask if there was a problem. But the
woman explained in a Spanish accident, “I don’t speak English.”
Fortunately, one of the family members spoke Spanish fluently, and
asked if she could help.
A huge grin came from the mother. She quickly explained that her car
would not start, that her husband was coaching a youth baseball game
and she did not have a cell phone to reach him. She did not have jumper
cables, and neither did the other family. So they went back into Target
and purchased the necessary cables.
Out they came, jumped the car, and problem solved (at least until a new battery could be purchased).
Later that day, another problem presented itself. Two family members
were walking near a lake, and passed a man playing with his dog. On
passing by again, 20 minutes later, the man and dog were still there on
the ground
Is there a problem? Yes. The dog had been playing in the water and
apparently had done something to his paw. Now it was hanging sadly,
with the dog not willing to put any weight on it.
“Would you wait with my dog while I get my car?” the dog’s owner asked.
“Sure!” Ten minutes later, the man returned. He and a family member
carried the 100-pound-plus dog to the car.
Helping others happens all the time. But it isn’t usually featured on
TV, or promoted on the radio. Kindness, like other things is learned.
So, how about if families devote a few hours this summer to some
service to others.
A few years ago the synagogue our family attends had a community
service morning. More than a dozen projects were available, ranging
from filling sand bags in a nearby community that was threatened by a
flood, to serving food at a nearby food shelf, to packing medical
supplies for African families, to helping build a Habitat Humanity
House. For three hours people worked together.
It was a WONDERFUL way to spend a morning. I went with the sand-bagging
group (we weren’t lazy, we really did pack sand bags.) The people we
helped were delighted. But as you can imagine those helping received at
least as much in satisfaction, as we gave.
Joe Nathan, a former public school teacher and administrator,
directs the Center for School Change, Humphrey Institute, University of
Minnesota
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